This invention relates to a means for timing the entrance and exit units to the ammunition storage drum of a linkless ammunition feed system and, more particularly, the invention is concerned with providing a positive timing device which insures that the units and drum are both in timed position when being mated together and also when being separated.. The units and drum can be held in timed position when disengaged so that the belt tension in the conveyor will not change and the drum will not rotate causing rounds to fall out of the drum.
Presently, the system of timing demountable entrance and exit units in an ammunition handling mechanism is most commonly accomplished by spring loaded timing pins which must be manually depressed on each unit and the drum when the units are mated to the drum. In order to prevent mistiming, timing gears and/or gears with timing plates are sometimes used. In recent installations, spring loaded rods indexing a slot in a gear on the entrance and exit units have been used in an attempt to insure that the units cannot be mounted when not in the timed position. However, this does not insure that the ammunition drum to which the units are mounted is in timed position and mistiming between the units and the drum could result.
Thus, there is a definite need for a foolproof timing device for mounting exit and entrance units to a linkless feed ammunition storage drum. In an ideal linkless ammunition feed system the exit and/or entrance units could not be mounted to the drum unless both units and the drum were in timed position. The exit and/or entrance units should not be removable from the drum unless both the units and the drum are in timed position. However, in case of a jam, the units should be removable by unbolting some timing features. Another desirable feature for providing a foolproof timing system would be to hold the exit and/or entrance units in timed position by a spring loaded lever while disconnected. The lever would automatically release when either unit is mounted to the drum, allowing the shafts to turn with the drum.